Style Battle: The Rugged Brief – Filson, J. Crew, Jack Spade

Filson Org. Briefcase – $210 | J. Crew Rugged Twill – $128 | Jack Spade Swiss Brief – $379

Is the traditional hard edged, leather attache dead?  Not a lot of guys carrying those around anymore.  Instead, no matter how urban the environment, everybody looks like they’re on their way to Tombstone to defend Wyatt Earp in court.   And that’s not a bad thing either.

The standard formula for a rugged brief seems to be canvas sides, leather accents, a detachable shoulder strap, and two leather handles that meet at the top.

The Filson is hard to argue with.  They’re one of the original heritage American Brands, and their brief is still made in the U.S.   J. Crew offers a less expensive version that must be inspired by the Filson, and the addition of the over the top buckle strap looks terrific.   Jack Spade is a high end name, and their Swiss Brief merges the Filson’s flap and the J. Crew’s buckle.  And then Jack tacks on an extra $100 – $150 for good measure.

If you had to pick… which one are you carrying?

Leave your vote, or a write in addition in the comments section below…
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